MDEQ and EPA look to Lower Allowable Dioxane Standard
The MDEQ and EPA are working to remove dioxane in Ann Arbor’s ground water.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is working to lower the allowable exposure level of dioxane in groundwater.
Dioxane is a chemical that can be found in paint strippers, glue, and pesticides, as well as some makeup and bath products. A plume of the chemical has seeped into the groundwater in Ann Arbor and some drinking wells in Scio Township.
State Representative Jeff Irwin says a stricter standard for cleanup of the pollutant is the first step to fixing the problem.
“Going from 85 parts per billion to all the way down to seven parts per billion had given us, has given the state DEQ a reason to go back to court and fight for a better clean up on behalf of the people,” Irwin says.
Irwin says the dioxane was dumped by a company named Gelman Sciences from 1966 to 1986 and has been spreading ever since. Irwin says the company should be held responsible for cleaning up the plume.
